A variety of image manipulation functionalities are available in image processing technologies. Image manipulation functionalities are generally tools with which a user may modify and/or analyze an image within an image processing technology.
Typically, each image manipulation functionality is associated with a mode and that image manipulation functionality is available only when the associated mode is active, or activated by a user. Therefore, in order to switch from one image manipulation functionality to another, the active mode needs to be changed accordingly. For example, a user who wants process an image by zooming into an image and then conducting a measurement on the image, that user needs to activate a zoom mode for conducting an associated zoom functionality on the image and to switch from the zoom mode to a measurement mode for conducting an associated measurement functionality on that image. As image processing technologies develop, a greater variety of image manipulation functionalities become available. Therefore, the need to constantly switch between different modes can be inconvenient and inefficient for image processing. Easier access to image manipulation functionalities is, therefore, desirable.
Also, certain image manipulation functionalities may be used more frequently than others. For example, spatial transformation functionalities, such as rotating an image or zooming into an image, may be more frequently used than enhancement functionalities, such as altering a contrast of an image. Therefore, it may be helpful to make the more frequently used image manipulation functionalities more accessible.
Easier access to image manipulation functionalities may be especially important for touch-sensitive devices. Touch-sensitive devices commonly receive inputs in the form of single-touch inputs. Each single-touch input corresponds to an individual operation. Also, certain touch-sensitive devices may be associated with a more limited display area and therefore, effective use of the display area can be critical. Therefore, requiring a user to switch to a different mode in order to use a different image manipulation functionality can be cumbersome and impractical. Touch-sensitive devices with limited display area can also make switching between different modes difficult.